Sunday, October 19, 2008

New Daughter/Father Studio at the Factory in Franklin, TN


October 2008 brings a new venture at the Factory in Franklin, TN, for the daughter/father team of Michelle Rideout, pastelist and oil painter, and Tommy Thompson, oil painter. The artists have opened a working studio on "The Row @ The Factory," located at 230 Franklin Road, Franklin, TN. The Factory is a complex of 11 depression-era buildings with a total of 250,000 square feet, which housed four different factories during its industrial lifetime. Today the Factory serves as a dining, retail, entertainment, and educational center and offers a unique indoor shopping experience, including art galleries. The manager of "The Row @ The Factory" is Ms. Deborah Gall of Abide Studio. The ten artists of "The Row @ The Factory" work in open-air studios, allowing customers to interact with the artists, observe art in progress, and purchase great art. The other artists include Connie Shaw of The Artisan Company, specializing in native American jewelry and gifts. Eleanor Ann Bailey of the Breath of Life Studio is a prolific artist who creates unusual wind chimes, metal garden sculptures, etc. Deann Hebert of Deann Designs specializes in oil and acrylic creations. Dorit Riley entertains the viewers of her colorful figures and fantastic creatures in acrylics and watercolor. John Cannon's representational paintings in oil and acrylic are a blend of realism and impressionism. Bob Jones' work in pen and ink reveals a meticulous attention to detail. Roz Ramey creates abstract and realistic work using multimedia. Judith Anderson of Windsong Studio creates serene landscape paintings and jewelry. When you are in the Franklin area, be sure to visit these fine artists on "The Row @ The Factory."

Monteagle Meadow


Tommy Thompson painted "Monteagle Meadow" while participating in a paint-out with a group of Atlanta plein air painters in Monteagle, TN, during September 2008. The group paints in the Monteagle area twice each year. Monteagle is located in the beautiful Cumberland Mountains between Chattanooga and Nashville. Thompson enjoyed painting in this beautiful part of the country.

Small Town America


Tommy Thompson produced the oil painting, "Small Town America," which depicts a small Southern town in Alabama. This town has a storied past, but today many of the stores and businesses are closed. The townspeople still have tremendous pride in their little town because of its history.